Growing Roses

GROW YOUR OWN ROSES

Roses have been a very popular bloom over the years. Not only do they look good, but they smell wonderful too. Most of the time you will find rose shrubs gracing parks, playgrounds, and home gardens. But have you seen roses planted as if they are trees? Rose tree garden is becoming a trend when it comes to growing rose plants.Having your own rose tree garden is really not that complicated, as long as you are equipped with the right knowledge, tools, and of course, a little creativity.

Planting Roses

• Mix in at least one bucket of rotted organic matter per square meter ideally farmyard manure, in the area where roses are to be planted
• For a single rose plant, dig a hole roughly twice the width of the plant's roots and the depth of a spade's blade
• Apply general fertilizer, at 100g per sq m (3oz per sq yd) over the surface and fork it in
• Carefully tease out the roots of container plants as, if this is not done, the roots may be very slow to extend outwards, leaving the young plant more susceptible to drought in summer
• Place the rose in the centre of the hole .If you live in a cooler climate, plant roses deeper, but if you wish to plant in a pot, you need to dig about 1 inch deeper than the usual potted level.
• Back-fill gently with the excavated soil.

General Care

• Feeding:  Apply a dressing of a general or rose fertilizer at 100g per sq m (1½oz per sq yd), every spring. If growth slows, repeat the fertilizer application in mid-summer
• Watering:  Water well in dry spells for at least two summers after planting
• Sunlight: It would be best to plant your roses in a clear area where there are not too many trees or other types of plants. The reason behind this is that the rose may lack sunlight exposure and the roots are also likely to become intertwined with the rose and throttle its growth.

The Many Uses of Roses

• In the middle ages apothecaries prescribed rose for tuberculosis. Teas were made from the petals and or the leaves and were used for poor circulation and digestive problems, irregular and painful menses or periods, liver congestion, fevers, eye infections, skin complaints, headaches and nervous tensions. 
• Rose-hip seed oil is extracted from the seeds enclosed in the rose-hip This oil rich in vitamins is believed to assist in the promotion and regeneration of healthy skin cells. It is perfect for use on the sensitive areas of the face and the neck. 
• Rose-hips contain a high content of vitamin C as well as vitamins A, B, and E.. 
• Rosewater is a by product of distillation, it is the main ingredient in Turkish Delight. It can also be used as a skin tonic, or as a compress for sore and tired eyes. 
• Rose water we are told was first distilled by the 10th century by the Persian physician Avicenna. 
• Roses can be used as an expression of love, as many a valentine has discovered over the years. 
• Red roses are a symbol of love. 
• Pink roses for first love. 
• Yellow roses for friendship. 
• White roses are said to represent purity and innocence. 
• The perfume of roses is said to be an aphrodisiac.